I have created an image for installing Ubuntu 5.04 from the LXF68 DVD.
This boots me into the Linux Ubuntu install (on a P4 3GHz that normally runs Win MCE 2005).
I have a USB 2.0 attached 20Gb HDD (in an external caddy).
The process gets as far as creating the Lnux partition on the USB drive, but fails while attempting to install the base 'system'.
At the time of failure, it tells me to look for /var/lib/messages, but when I boot up with the Live CD, I can see the '/var/lib' folder but no 'messages'.
This is my first attempt to install Linux, although I have used Knoppix 3.n Live CDs and more recently the Ubuntu 5.04 Live CD.
I am definitely a newbie, and would appreciate any assistance available.
If there might be a problem with the CD, how do I go about checking the files? I've heard (and read) a lot about md5sum, but I have not understood it or how to run the checks.
Is there anything else I should be checking?
Regards
Echo

on the official Ubuntu site has some very good instructions on how to do it (5th comment down).

Having looked at those instructions, I have to say it looks like a world of pain. Have you considered freeing up some space on your internal HDD? If that's out of the question, you might want to try Puppy linux, included on the same DVD. Puppy is designed to run from a USB drive.

Thanks toby_tyke, Nelz
I've had another go with pen and paper to hand.
The installation reaches the 'Install base system' step.
It does the checking, receiving/validating OK.
Installing base-system ...
Message:

...insmod /lib/modules/2.6.10-5-386/kernel/fs/isofs.koinsmod /lib/modules/2.6.10-5-386/kernel/drivers/ieee1394/sbp2.koinsmod /lib/modules/2.6.10-5-386/kernel/drivers/scsi/sc_mod.koFile descriptor 3 left openFile descriptor 4 left openFile descriptor 5 left openFile descriptor 6 left open /dev/sdc: open failed: no module found /dev/sdd: open failed: no module found /dev/sde: open failed: no module found /dev/sdf: open failed: no module foundNo matching physical volumes foundFile descriptor 3 left openFile descriptor 4 left openFile descriptor 5 left openFile descriptor 6 left open /dev/sdc: open failed: no module found /dev/sdd: open failed: no module found /dev/sde: open failed: no module found /dev/sdf: open failed: no module foundNo volume groups found Reading all physical volumes. This may take a while ...mke2fs 1.35 (28-Feb-2004)tar: ./usr/sbin/update-passwd: Read-only file system

My USB drive had been identified as sdb; so that would explain the other 'sdx' entries - I assume the installer is just checking for other drives.I then returned to the installer screen and ran the last-but-one step to open a shell.I could see the file in total including the following two lines at the top:

I tried another distro and saw lots of IO errors. I concluded that the disk itself had problems and so switched to another drive. All OK.
Does Linux have the ability to format a disk so that it can avoid bad sectors/blocks?